Bit of this

A yellow rump streaks away into the trees, and shortly afterwards starts to hammer.

Whippet has a bemused look. Black cat is yowling in protest at being stood on. She has tucked herself underneath the cover and only a bump can be seen. He jumps in fright when she retaliates.

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum the 2 dames of last nights pantomime were spectacular and I have the photo's to prove it. It is their one chance a year to glam it up. They have been a double act for years now, and are the highlight of the show.

Bit of

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum

Bit of this

She lands lightly, flops down and with small movements melds us into one. Purring at last her chin comes to rest on my leg. I feel all the tension flow first from her body and then from my own. What a lovely way to start the day.

A large brown envelop waits on the matt. There is a sick and dividend society rule book that cost threepence with no date on. A report on the funds raised in 1901 to restore the church. 2 photographs, one from 1901 and another 1903 showing the difference the revamp has made. 2 ancient cookery books, various scraps of paper, an old letter dated 1955. From someone in Scotland lamenting the fact that Emily wasn't at home when they called. The last item, a photograph, takes my breath away. She is beautiful. Is it Emily?

She rings me up to make sure I have not forgotten the Library van. When I get there I find out from veteran mobile man of 33 years standing, that they stopped visiting the estate, last year because someone told them not to bother now that all the workers were Polish. I think they could have added a few Polish books. He just shrugged.

Bit of that

Emily?

Bit of this

Out side whippet and I peer closely at the tin can clanking in the dark. Once the eyes adjust it becomes evident that it's black cat with her head stuck fast in a whiskas tin.

Man about the house rushes to the rescue, the tin is yanked off and wild eyes glare, followed by her belting up the garden in what I take for a temper. Much latter I catch up with the hero of the hour and he reveals that he had found black cat curled up in doors. The unfortunate look alike we conclude was one of farmer Rex's hungry souls, whom possibly is related to black cat somewhere along the line.

Those biscuits had an interesting taste and texture she comments. Well what do you expect from 3 year olds. Possibly if she had witnessed the process she would have refused one. I am sure cooking with 3 year olds contravenes health and safety. Even when vigilant children sneeze, cough and stick fingers in to taste. To say nothing of the ones with runny noses.

Bit of that

Thought I would get into the christmas spirit.

(in memory of black cat's sister bubbles)

Bubbles also suffered from mistaken identity, and got solemnly taken to the vet for burial and cried over by another family after they had scooped her up from the road. It wasn't until latter that night when their cat strolled in, that they realized the mistake. The son of the house who was 4 at the time whooped with joy believing that it was possible to come back from the dead. (As I had only just lost Andrew, I replied with a heart felt "I wish", but you had the see the funny side). Days latter we found out what had happened to her, but by then another of Rex's waifs was nicely ensconced after being carried home from the farm in a carrier bag, blind with cat flue, and to my declaration that she would return to the farm after a visit to the vet. She never did of course and lived a very happy life with us, until the lady next door reversed over her. She never could meow I reckon she had used all her voice calling for help from the middle of the yard. Luckily man about the house was near at hand donning yet another superman suit.

Bit of this

The silver birch spends her life dancing, todays wind ebbs and flows in and around, she rejoices in the moment, giving expression with dainty elegance.

Bless his heart, he takes charge of the chaos that evidences the baking activity. "now we wash up", he instructs and marches off with bowls he has neatly stacked.

Black cat has arranges herself in the only patch of sunlight to be bathed in, and
looks ready to drip from one step to another.

Bit of that

It's Dark in Here by Shel Silverstein

I am writing these poems
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.
So please excuse the handwriting
Which may not be too clear.
But this afternoon by the lion's cage
I'm afraid I got too near.
And I'm writing these lines
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.

Bit of this

Letting a fly out and inhaling the autumn smell of a bonfire, then leaving the window open to fill the house with the smell and memories.

Drifting off to another place while 2 friends moan about same bonfire. ('spect when I hit menopause proper, I too will be a grumpy old woman, Oh gawd).

He opens the bag. "last time you dealt with one of those, you and the cat fought over it, much swearing ensued from both parties, I seem to remember". He hangs it up complete with webbed feet and bill still in its bag, while we consider what to do. Later we find that black cat has made a decision and started plucking it for us. And there was us thinking it was out of reach.

Bit oft that

Some decisions are harder than others

October 25th 2009

Previous

1 of 28 cartoons

Butterflies, bins, spuds

Bit of this

The sun temps the butterflies, from wherever they go on dingy days, to party on the butterfly bush.

No wire worms no tiddly jobs. Potatoes my potatoes, scrubbed boiling on the stove.

The dustbin contravenes public health, it is a positive embarrassment due to one of us slinging, black cat's gift of a dead bird, in the bottom only in wrapped in news paper. I get the bleach, yard broom and rubber gloves unfortunately I have no mask. Then I decorate it and paint I love my bin men on the lid. Where would we be without them?

Bit of that

Stomp

I think schools should employ these to go in and run classes for our teenagers.

They are a must see.

And just cos I love them a bit more.

Sharing air and the bed

Bit of this

Black cat has her jaw laid against my collar bone and is puffing purry breaths in my ear, whippet gasps searching for air under the duvet in his rightful place between me and man about the house who is gently snoring, my effort in the symphony of airy sound sometimes syncs with black cat and sometimes with man about the house. What a wonderful way to start the day.

All that breathing reminded me of Andrew who shared our bed until he died, I used to listen for hours to his breath. It often was the first indicator of an imminent crisis. Funny really it wasn't his breath I swore I heard in the months that followed but his foot steps. That and his voice.

His voice is a soft mutter these days usually telling me to pull my finger out. Sometimes I listen sometimes I don't. Today I listened and did loads of house work and feel very virtuous.

Bit of that

gobbledegook

Hi's and hassles

Bit of this

Being a boy he just has to hassle.

Peddling her chopper bike with one hand she sings out "Hi" , imitating her mother exact tone.

Black cat serenades me begging for food.

Bit of that

I like this idea

Invitations, exhibition, one lucky bird

Bit of this

She said "come anytime" so we did, wandering down an old path to the bog garden to visit the the green man. This surely then would have been part of the monks fish ponds in the way back.

It is an astonishing surprise. Beams of light travel though 4 layers of net hung floor to ceiling, the whole thing has a peace and tranquility that is accidently enhanced from the over flow music coming from another exhibit.

The only thing that saved the boy blackbird from obliteration was the bike shifting black cats trajectory slightly.

Bit of that

I knew that it just hazardous for the local bird population.

It has been scientifically proven that owning cats can have a positive effect on our health - they can decrease the occurrence of high blood pressure and other similar illnesses.

Stroking a cat can relieve stress (this also refers to other furry animals) and the purring feeling can have a secure and comforting effect on a person.

things done, things avoided

Bit of this

When I get there she is out, shopping. She comes back sits down for a mili second and while I dust the family and do, she is busy with her other "jobs".  Asking "What do you think of Michael Jackson then". 

"To be honest with you" she says "I don't really like modern pop music". Do any 90 year olds I wonder.

Black cat pulls a new trick from her hat as she pours herself under the back gate and rolls down the step.

I catch the wonderful postie and thank her for signing for the small package that she put through the letter box. A hot trip to the sorting office is best avoided. Bless her.

Bit of that

just a quote

Anything is possible if you don't know what you're talking about - Green's Law of Debate

Dozing, meeting and cooking

Bit of this

She comes padding up leaps on to the bed and molds herself across my legs, no effort needed to balance, slumping into an early morning doze. 

Messing about in the front garden I meet 2 new people. One of which is the villages newest resident born on Saturday.

A discovery. The wonders of puff patsy, make a tasty tea a breeze

Bit of that.

Amazing 

Last day of the holiday

Bit of this

The shoulders exacting it's revenge, but as I look up the garden at yesterdays handy work, I thinks, up yours.

Standing perfectly still, eyes closed, they look still asleep. One opens an eye and proceeds to exercise his jaw. The horses obviously need hours to come to, of a morning, like me. I shall have to set the alarm at 4.30 I reckon to appear bright eyed and busy tailed for work tomorrow.

What fantastic weather to end the holiday on. It is so warm I doze up the garden, after lunch, along with black cat. Who has found a new snoozing spot. Inside the cold frame.

Bit of that

Don't force it ....

.... get a larger hammer.

Foreign places and gymnastics

Bit of this

3 U.S Airways tickets for Phoenix fall out of my new library book.

Black cat leaps and upends a dustbin lid that is a bird station. She disappears underneath it and emerges looking very wild and slightly embarrassed. 

She shares her garden it seems with half the village. Filling the frame with flower after flower I am lost in a world of delicious color. Startling blues, reds, yellows, dazzling white, delicate shades of pink. Purples to climb into and bask in serenity. I come to and see 2 old ladies bent, heads together weeding, and a gentleman working up a sweat mowing the lawn. 2 others are swapping gardening stories in a sunny corner. Come again she says as I leave. I finally put a face to a name I have been hearing for the last 18 years and meet her donkeys to boot.

Bit of that

High energy fix

Shattered and humor sticks things

Bit of this

A loud clatter makes me jump. The mirror was shattered into large fragments. Some would say 7 years bad luck. I think the cat has used another of her 9 lives, had I fed her when she was pestering she would have been flat cat. 

They had chosen April fools day. Life is one huge joke. With the first sentence spoken, he was to be our undoing. He got under the British stiff upper lip. Told it how it was. Acknowledged the tragedy. And I am glad it was not a churchy glossing over of a life ended, because he never ever stood a chance. Bare facts for the 3 surviving siblings to hear. I don't think in all the years in the system anyone had told their story. "We all do the best we can at the time" he says.  We look at one another and wonder. And then Gary Nuwman blasts forth and encapsulates it all. 

I get lost in the world of a totally wacky play on R4. Involving buglers who steal the queens marriage certificate. It was just what I needed. A real tonic.

Bit of that

This bridge will only take you halfway there

To those mysterious lands you long to see:

Through gypsy camps and swirling Arab fairs

And moonlit woods where unicorns run free.

So come and walk awhile with me and share

The twisting trails and wondrous worlds I've known.

But this bridge will only take you half way there 

The last few steps you'll have to take alone.

Shel Silverstein

Relaxation,radio's and blowyness

Bit of this

I open the door, she is flopped where the warm of the sun touches the duvet. Scooping her up, I join her for a few delicious stolen moments from my busy morning.

My dab radio has been temperamental since I unceremoniously snapped of it's ariel. It is my window on the world. Man about house does a wonderful job fixing me another. Reception is clear as a bell. I celebrate by listening to the afternoon play.

The fresh bright blowy day has dried 3 loads of washing. And ruffled the long-tits and their  feathers.

Bit of that

Early to bed

A poor evening on television

(Dictionary for our time)

not me I am going to knit!

 

Chat and cat

Bit of this

A friend shows a book of stunning photo's recalling her families travels. The scenes leap off the page, colors, countries, wild life, all have been woven together making a professional looking coffee table book. The project was aided by Aldi, and we agree it was a snip at the price.

The cue is long, we banter to pass the time. He is 91 he tells me, and only old people uses buses. We find we have things in common. I spy a pink chocolate love heart lolly, and buy it, giving it as a belated valentine. "is it edible" he laughs, "I like sweet things".

The tip of  cats tail makes the perfect curve of a C hardly discernible against the rest of her black fur. It begs to be traced with a finger.

Bit of that

Chastity belt

The area of land surrounding a nunnery.

(The Oldie- Dictionary For Our Time)